Apparatus for sterilizing liquids by means of ultra-violet rays.



HENRI, A. HELBRONNER & M. VON- REOKLINGHAUSEN. APPARATUS FOR STERILIZING LIQUIDS BY MEANS OF ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 7, 1910. I

1,091,221. Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

WITNESSES: mL/z- 14M: |NVENTOR5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. vIC'roIt HENRI, ANDRE HELBRONNER, AND MAX voN RECKLINGHAUSEN, or PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNORS, BY MEsNE AssIGNMEN'I's, TO THE R. U. v. COMPANY, INC.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR STERILIZINGLIQUIDS BY MEANS OF ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.- Patented*Mar. 24, 1914.

Application filed June 7, 1910. Serial No. 565,612.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, VICTOR HENRI and ANDRE I-lnLBRoNNER, citizens of the Republic of France, and MAX VON RECKLINC-' HAUSEN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Paris, France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Sterilizing Liquids by Means of Ultra-Violet Rays, of which the followgeously utilized for the liquids which'are vention.

permeable to these radiations.

4 The means which we employ comprises an electric lamp which in operation emits ultraviolet rays, for instance a mercury vapor lamp having a quartz or silica container is very suitable for the purpose. Such a lamp if immersed in the water to be sterilized would, however, not work with a satisfac-- tory yield or efliciency by reason of the cooling efi'ect of the water. We therefore according to our invention provide an additional envelop of quartz or silica, either surrounding the entire lamp orsurrounding only that portion of it which emits the'ultraviolet rays. The space between the lamp container and the outer envelop is exhaustwhich the present arrangement can be usefully adopted. In the case of the mercury lamp the intermediate vacuum space allows the lamp to work with the least expenditure of energy so that the cost of sterilization may be reducedto the lowest possible.

Our improved apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-' Figure 1 is a sectional view showing one method of carrying out the invention and Fig. 2 IS a similar view showing a modification. Referring to Fig. 1, the tank 1 holds the l1qu1d to be sterilized: 2 indicates a mercury 'vapor lamp of any suitable kind,.provided with a container 3 of quartz or silica and havlng leading-1n wires 4 and 5. The entire lamp is inclosed in an envelop 6 of quartz or silica, and the space 7 between the en: velop and the lamp is exhausted to such a degree of vacuum that the gas remaining therein will not ultra-violet rays.

In Fig. 2 the outer envelop of the lamp marked 8 surrounds only that portion 9 of the lamp which emits the ultra-violet rays as those parts 10 containing .the mercury pools act as cooling chambers when the lamp is in operation, and consequently may be immersed directly in the surroundin liquid.

Our improved apparatus may be used with other liquids besides water which it is desired tosterilize onin which it is desired to stop the process of fermentation.

What we claim is 1. Apparatus for sterilizing liquids, comprising the combination of a tank for containing the liquid to be sterilized, a lamp adapted to emit ultra-violet rays immersed in said liquid, and an envelop surrounding said lamp, the intermediate space being exhausted of air.

2. Apparatus for sterilizing liquids, comprising the combination of atank for containing the liquid to be sterilized, a va or electric lamphaving a container permea le to ultra-violet rays immersed in said 1i uid, and an envelop permeable to ultra violet rays surrounding said lamp, the space between the lamp and the envelop being exhausted of. air.

prising the combination vof a' tank for containing the liquid to be sterilized, a vaporelectric lamp immersed in said liquid, and

prevent the passage of an envelop permeable to ultra-violet rays surrounding the part of the lamp adapted to emit ultra -violet rays, the intermediate space being exhausted of air.

4. Apparatus for sterilizing liquids comsubscribed our names this 25th day of May 10 prising the combination of a tank for con- 1910. taining the liquid to be sterilized, a mercury VICTOR HENRL vapor lamp having a quartz container iIn- ANDRE HELBRONNER mersed in said liquid and a quartz envelop surrounding said lanhp, the space between MAX VON REGKLINGHAUSEN' the lamp and the envelop being exhausted Witnesses: of air. I DEAN M. HAWN, In testimony whereof We have hereunto JACK H. BAKER. 

